burning vendetta

[Ripley Marsh]

Burning Vendetta
featuring: Queen's Honesty & Nocturnal Runaway

Laura analyzed Queen's Honesty with sharp blue eyes. The bay filly with the powerful body looked so like Whipped Cream. That same fire in her eyes brought Laura back to the days when Rea was racing and stunning the world with her powerful turn around. Maggie said she could hardly find any Flawed Princess in Queen. There was no noble and wise aura, there was no quiet reflection. Where Amira had been elegantly beautiful, Queen looked more along the lines of rough and tumble. Queen wasn't as game as Rea. She lacked the fight, but she had immense talent. She lacked confidence after being beaten so consistently since her only career win at two. She wasn't Whipped Cream. She wasn't Flawed Princess. Those two had only gotten better with age. Hell, Whipped Cream had only been a grade four at three and Amira grade five. Queen was right on track to explode at the age of four if her cousins' examples meant anything.

Laura patted the filly's neck, admiring the dapples on her hind end. Only the filly's eyes gave away her internal problems. They depicted a sadness in spite of the affection and the good health. Queen just stood between the cross-ties, eyes forward and looking right through Nocturnal Runaway. The silver miss in comparison was a hellion. One win had gone right to the Night Stalker filly's head. The silver horse danced between the cross-ties, ignoring David's blatant objections. The man glared into Noc's eyes only got the eye roll response. Such a typical female.

Irritated, David slapped the cross-ties undone, grasped the lead rope and sent the filly backward. She lifted her head beyond his reach, eyes rolling once again. She went six full yards before David allowed her to stop. She snorted, dropped her head and stamped her feet. The fire kindled in her gaze though. David wasn't fooled one bit. Noc was a game player. Her moods shifted depending on the hour and if she won or lost her last race. The filly blew through her nostrils, shook like a dog in an attempt to dislodge the tack. It didn't work and she merely looked in opposite direction overcome with embarrassment.

David rolled his own eyes and found Ripley watching him with amusement. "Don't let her rub off on you, David. I don't like eye rolling very much."

He shrugged as the trainer stepped into the aisle and placed her hands on Noc. The Night Stalker filly quivered, but she had long since learned to respect Ripley. Everyone respected Ripley. It was irritating to the normal horse people having a "whisperer" of sorts in their midst. "She's looking mighty pretty. I'm ready to see her take off in her next race. Hopefully, everything works out. The fields are pretty tough, but mild in comparison to January."

Ripley walked toward Queen's Honesty who lifted her head in greeting, but barely moved a muscle. "You better perk up there punk. I can't have a depressed filly on my roster." Queen let out a sigh, accepting the affectionate patting to her neck. She was a little bit of a princess. She liked her rubs and treats. She wasn't Whipped Cream in that regard. It would make her easier to handle on the track, more malleable. "Laura is just going to have to give you a menthol soaking and a bran mash later on."

Laura smirked, hiding her gaze as she finished tightening the filly's girth. People didn't see Ripley spoiling her horses. They didn't see her affection for them or her excitement when a new foal was born. She simply was the "genius" behind Witch Creek's success. She'd made a grade five winner of one race a highly sought after stud. She'd made her one woman show pan into years of domination for an impressive three years. Her game was taking horses in and making them super stars. Her usual M.O. was going to be wiped away as more and more home-breds replaced what would have been positions for underdogs. But Laura knew Ripley would enjoy taking Queen on the same journey that Feline Frenzy, Whipped Cream, Flawed Princess, Frozen Motion and Bella Luna had gone on when they were lost. Those legends were what gave Laura hope for Queen.

"I suppose I can do that. Anything to cheer a friend up."

Ripley smiled, spoke up with a slightly raised voice. "Just the usual three furlong distance today. Mile gallop up. These two have been signaling perhaps a less intensive workout might be best. Laura, I want to give Queen some confidence so we're going to break her off after Noc today. She can stay even with Noc until the final hill and then at the flat let Noc go first like they were just breaking out of the gate. Instead of trying to keep the lead, we're going to give her something to chase and make things interesting for her. She's tired of getting run down."

Laura hummed softly, agreeing with the plan because it was true. Queen was plain tired of getting nabbed in the final stretch. Her natural speed just wasn't as quick as the other front runners and her late kick was minimized in comparison to the closers. A change had to occur for Queen otherwise she would lose her heart before she even found it.

Noc led the way out of the barn with David on her back. The young man always felt tough aboard the silver filly. She was a gorgeous thing, so pretty and so elegant. She had a quiet toughness, her muscles were thick around her shoulders. Her legs sculpted with perfect muscle. She was not nearly as coltish as The Devil's Hourglass or so obviously tough as Saintly Touch. Her best feature was her attitude and right now, no one had a better attitude than Noc. The filly jogged over the grass, chin tucked neatly. Her tail floated over her rump as she moved, the picture of grace and class. David had fallen hard for this filly. She was a character, but she had enough charm to balance her negative traits.

Queen's Honesty moved into a buoyant trot, eyes round and filled with life for the first time today. Laura could feel energy crackling beneath the surface of Queen's hide. The Truth Be Told daughter snorted, ears pricking and pace picking up as Noc moved into her gallop. They had skipped the first half mile, getting the majority of their warm up from the quick footed trot work. Both of them loped along like parade horses, nostrils flaring wide as they noticed the difference in the regimen.

The riders guided them into one of the valleys a mile out from the flat and let them move into a faster gallop. Queen bounded right up to run head and head with Nocturnal Runaway. The silver filly pinned her ears, but made no move to savage her rival. Queen seemed to shrug off the hostility, not a single hitch in her step. Laura kept her hands at Queen's withers, but a smile spread over her face. The workout against Casualty Of War had been a blow out for the colt and a struggle for Queen. No one could have predicted how much Sultan had improved from two to three. Queen was going to be a late bloomer and if she needed the fillies to boost her confidence, than fillies was what she was going to get.

Noc kept an even pace, her gallop stride long and reaching. She moved deliberately and confidently, not bothered at all by the change in tactics. David was very quiet aboard the filly as they cruised through the mile. He kept a watchful eye on Laura. Hopefully, Queen wouldn't move too soon, but for the moment the little filly that could was obeying commands just fine. David began to think that maybe the bay horse didn't want the lead as much as she had originally. Perhaps, her maturity had not been in her physical form, but in her mental mind.

Laura kept herself calm as the horses finished off the gallop with a run up the final hill. Noc shot to the lead under orders by David. She was a more than willing partner. She snorted, tail zinging up over her rump like an Arab's. It wasn't every day you were commanded to go to the front of a workout. Queen braced against Laura's hand on the bit, but quieted down when Noc briefly disappeared from view down the hill. Laura crooned calming words to the three year old, found the filly relaxed right down into the bit. "Good girl, Queen."

David was enjoying the rush as Nocturnal Runaway leaped into the three furlong flat. She was like a lioness these days, her speed killer and her work ethic strong. Ripley had said she'd never met a Night Stalker foal she didn't like. This was one of the very last. David was going to soak in everything. Night Stalker was as much a key Witch Creek founder as Speed Demon and Touch Up.

Laura bided her time patiently, tucking Queen in behind Noc so that the bay wouldn't take it in her head to run off. She was going to have to draft in behind horses until she learned to settle. Perhaps a little cover would even help further the education along. Queen strained as Noc charged through the first furlong and a half alone. Her strides were choppy and her head was cocked way high in protest. The fight was going to take a lot out of her, but at least there was some FIGHT. Queen wanted to run!

Ripley counted time in her head as she watched the fillies through binoculars. She was liking what she was seeing from the pair. Queen was putting up a mess of a fight for Laura, but education was tough. Queen was only going to train for the early half of the year anyway. Her first two starts had been disastrous enough for Ripley to contact Nature Blue and replot a campaign for the gorgeous filly. She wasn't going to ruin a horse to hit the classics when great things were more than promised in Year Sixteen and possibly beyond. "Alright... Laura... let her go."

As if she had a hearing device, Laura released the bay filly and tucked in close as Queen let loose a buck and tore off after Nocturnal Runaway like a train.

David heard the clatter, set his filly down for the final drive. Noc took off like the champ she was, legs blurring beneath her. Her ears pinned as Queen appeared at her barrel as though she'd been shot out of a canon. Noc kept the pace up, holding off Queen with her faster speed. Queen ground away at Noc's lead, though, and by the end she was a neck back. David was thrilled with Nocturnal Runaway. She had potential to be just as wonderful as her half-brother. The fact that he was on board this filly was enough to send David over the moon.

Laura patted Queen's neck sweated neck excitedly, eyes flickering with excitement. Education had just begun for Queen. By the end of it, who knew what kind of things were in store for the filly.